The Terma Tradition of the Nyingmapa School



TERTON AND OTHER PRACTICES OF NYINGMA

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Sub Titles:

1. The Terton: A Unique tradition

2. Belief in Supernatural Powers

3. Nine Vehicles of Nyingma

4. Mandala

5. The Universe According to Nyingma Lamas

[pic]

Plate: 7

Padmasambhava, founder of Nyingma sect of Buddhism in Tibet, below Abbot Shantirakshita and King Thisong Deu Tsan

(A Traditional Thanka Painting)

The Tertons: A Unique Tradition in NyingMa[i]

People, who will have well being of mind, even if the Buddha is not present, will receive Dharma from the midst of the sky, walls and trees. For that Bodhisattva whose minds are pure, teachings and instructions will appear just by the wishes in their minds.

“Buddha”.[ii]

1.0 Meaning of gTer

In a great number of spiritual traditions of the world, there are many instances of the discovery of teachings and objects by mystical power. Similarly, in various traditions and lineages of Buddhism, in India as well as Tibet, numerous discoveries of teachings and objects have taken place.

In the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism the tradition of concealment and revelations of teachings and materials of religious value through the mystical power of enlightened beings is most prevalent by far. This tradition of mystical discovery is known in Tibet as γτερ (treasures), γτερ−μ (treasured ones), or γτερ−θοσ, Dharma treasures of Treasured teachings.

Ter does not belong to the category of revelations through psychic power (Ρ.−ϖμσ) or through the beings of the spirit world (μι−μ−ψιν). Psychic discoveries take place through the power of mind, which is a gifted but conceptual cognition. Further, most spirits have more physical power and knowledge than ordinary human beings, but their spiritual wisdom and true virtues are limited. The discoveries of Terma take place from the omnipresent enlightened nature of mind through the spontaneously arisen wisdom power of the enlightened nature itself whereas other discoveries are through dualistic concepts and supernatural deeds.

In Mahayana Buddhism in general and especially in Tantra the true nature of the universe is viewed as the ultimate peace, emptiness, openness, the enlightened, awakened state, bliss, oneness, freedom from dualistic concepts and the wisdom of knowing all simultaneously, and that is known as the state fully enlightened nature of Buddha. Mahayanists including Tantriks believe that the true nature of the mind of beings is pure as Buddha but that is has been obscured by wrong views, emotions and habits. We are distracted into dualistic phenomena and thus are trapped in the unending turmoil of the mundane world.

HevajraTantra (ΡΚΨε∍ι−ΡΔο−Ρϑε−ΡΓΨυδ∴) says:

Beings are Buddha in their nature,

But their nature is obscured by adventitious defilements.

When the defilements are cleansed they themselves

Are the very Buddha

If you attain freedom from the mind of grasping at the selfless phenomena as ‘self’ and transcend dualistic perception through spiritual trainings, then the whole universe before you merges into the oneness of great peace. That is the attainment of Buddhahood, the absolute nature. If you attain Buddhahood, then every activity becomes the spontaneously arisen Buddha-action. All phenomenons appear and seen through the omniscient Buddha wisdom, as they are: simultaneously and without discriminations, limitations and dualities. You see all through the all-knowing wisdom of neither Buddha nature, nor through the dualistic conceptual mind.

According to Buddhist Tantras, in order to bring an ordinary person to the realisation of the enlightened nature, it is very important for the person to receive the transmission of the power of blessings of the realisation (ΡΤογσ−π∍ι−βΨιν−ρΟβσ) from a realised master. Then such a lineage of transmission moves through stages and times as the link to the realisation, the true awakened nature, and as the means of communication of the teachings.

The main tradition of Terma tradition of the Nyingma School is Guru Padmasambhava. He was one of the greatest Tantric masters and saints of Buddhist history. In the 9th century AD, at the invitation of Tibetan King, he came to Tibet from India and fulfilled three major missions. First, through the display of spiritual power, he pacified the human and non-human forces that were obstructing the founding of Dharma in Tibet. Secondly, he brought Buddhism in general and especially the transmission of the teachings and blessing powers of Tantra for his many Tibetan disciples and their followers. Thirdly, thirdly his enlightened power he concealed numerous teachings and transmission as well as religious objects as Ter for the benefit of the future followers.

While transmitting esoteric teachings to his realised disciples in Tibet, Guru Padmasambhava concealed (ΣΒσ) many teachings with the blessings of his enlightened mind stream in the nature of the intrinsic awareness (ριγ−π) of the minds of his disciple through the power of “mind-mandate transmission (γτδ−ΡΓΨ)”, and thereby the master and disciple became united as one in the teachings and realisation. Here, the master has concealed the teaching and blessings, the esoteric attainments, as Ter in the pure nature of mind of his disciples through his enlightened power and has made aspirations that the Ter may be discovered for the sake of beings when the appropriate time comes. By the power of this method, which is called the mind-mandate transmission, the actual discoveries of the teachings take place. The mind-mandate transmission is the heart core of the Ter tradition of Guru Padmasambhava.

Then in succeeding centuries, when the time for benefiting beings with a particular teaching arrived, the reincarnations of the realised disciple of Guru Padmasambhava discovered those teachings which had been transmitted and concealed in them by the master in their past lives, through the power of the enlightened aspirations of the master and disciples and the good Karma beings. There are thousand of images, symbolic scripts, complete texts, medicinal material and ritual tools etc. have been concealed by Guru Padmasambhava and discovered as Ter substances (γτερ−Ρφσ) , but the main Ter is the teachings and the blessings transmitted through the minds of the disciples.

1.1 Transmission of Ter

The transmission of Ter has been channelled through six kinds or lineages (βΡΓΨυδ−π−δΘυγ). Of the six lineages, three are identical to the lineage of general Tantric transmission in Nyingmapa scriptures. They are the lineage of transmission from, “enlightened mind to enlightened mind among the Buddha’s ((ΡΓΨλ−β−δγοξσ−βΡΓΨυδ), the lineage of transmission through mere “indications among the knowledge-holders (ριγ−∍φιν−βΡΔ−βΡΓΨυδ), and the lineage of “oral transmission among ordinary beings (γξ−ζγ−Σ ................
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